Previews

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am

Spiffy:

Tons of downloadable content; unconventional golf action.

Iffy:

There may not be enough variety to keep players interested.

Considering the level of insanity in the animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force, there was nothing conventional to expect from the videogame inspired by it. Indeed, Midway managed to confound even the wildest guesses about Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am, which will be released on PS2 in autumn. The title can only be described as a combat golf experience that mixed with a racing game, but it's actually even more complex than that. The development team managed to catch all the crazy humor of the series, creating a game that could result turn out pretty fun, even if not outstanding from a graphical perspective.

The game starts with Frylock being invited to take part in a golf competition and Shake trying to prove he's better at it. From that moment on, everything goes crazy: the three heroes have to make their way through several golf courses, killing hordes of enemies and eventually facing a boss when they get close to the hole. The whole of the action is commented by ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt, known to use some catch phrases straight from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The development team assured that every character from the TV series will be in the game, either as an ally or an enemy to fight: Mooninites, Plutonians, Dr. Weird and many others will all have a role in the non-existent plot of the game. The first encounter is, of course, with neighbor Carl, who appears as a boss at the end of the first level.

The golf ball of choice is of course Meatwad, who can be thrown and then controlled as soon as he lands. Apart from the normal golf clubs, Shake can use several weapons unlockable in the game, each of which has a different effect on the (meat)ball and enemies. The sword lets players perform spinning attacks, while the chainsaw is a very rare item that allows one-shot kills. There is even a guitar that can be played to freeze all the enemies onscreen. In addition to weapons, characters can shoot fireballs: they are considerably slower than other weapons, but they're free. Besides, it's another way to create confusion on screen.

Killing enemies is not just fun: it's also a way to score points, which is important in order to download exclusive content. The development team filled Zombie Ninja Pro-Am with bonuses such as movies, pictures from the TV series and additional costumes for the characters. There are even three episodes from the animated series, as well as a brand-new one that has been created just for the game. Last but not least, the game includes a totally unrelated, exclusive live-action short movie by the creators of the series, Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro.

The duo is also working closely with the developers to bring the authentic Aqua Teen Hunger Force experience to PS2, ensuring that the voice actors from the show are present. As for the soundtrack, some of the music tracks from the recently released "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters" have been included in the game, along with new themes approved by the creators of the series themselves.

The 12 levels of the game span through different settings, such as the desert, a radioactive waste and even the moon. While they mostly concentrate on golf action, two of them are racing levels modeled after the Mario Kart series: players have to pick up various items and weapons and use them against their opponents to be the first ones to the finishing line. Unfortunately, the multiplayer mode only allows two players to challenge each other in a turn-based golf competition, with no access to the racing sessions. This mode will be the only one to allow players to play as Frylock and to switch between the unlockable costumes for the main characters.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Zombie Ninja Pro-Am will be released in October as a PS2-exclusive.